Man escapes after Susquehanna Bank robbery

Bank robbery is fifth in Tri-State region in a week

December 29, 2010|By DAVE McMILLION | davem@herald-mail.com

Bank surveillance photo

HAGERSTOWN — In the fifth bank robbery in the Tri-State region in a week and the second one in Washington County in two days, a man escaped Wednesday with an undisclosed amount of cash from a Susquehanna Bank in the Fountainhead Plaza along Pennsylvania Avenue near Hagerstown, police said.

The bank robbery occurred about 4:50 p.m. when the man approached a teller and said he had a weapon, although no weapon was shown, said Cpl. Greg Alton, an investigator with the Washington County Sheriff's Office.

After obtaining the money, the man fled through the front door but bank workers did not see in which direction he went, Alton said.

Sheriff's office Detective Tim Atwell arrived at the bank within about three to five minutes after the robbery was called in but he did not see anyone, Alton said.

Numerous police from the Hagerstown Police Department, Maryland State Police and the sheriff's office responded, some using flashlights to search around the bank after the robbery.

The man was described as being white, having a stocky build and being about 6 feet to 6 feet 1-inch tall, Alton said.

He was wearing a black baseball cap and a gray, hooded sweatshirt that had "Hurley" printed on the front of it, said Alton, noting that the bank's surveillance camera system captured images of the man.

Alton said sheriff's office investigators have been in contact with Hagerstown police to determine whether Wednesday's holdup may be connected to Tuesday's robbery of The Columbia Bank along South Potomac Street in the city.

The man who robbed The Columbia Bank was believed to be in his 40s or 50s and about 5 feet, 10 inches to 6 feet tall, Hagerstown police said.

Alton said his department is also investigating whether Wednesday's robbery was connected to an armed robbery of a pharmacy in Middletown, Md., in Frederick County Wednesday night.

A state police spokesman said Wednesday night that apprehensions were made in the pharmacy armed robbery but he did not have further details.

The three other holdups included robberies of a Susquehanna Bank drive-up office on Valley Mall Road in Hagerstown and a BB&T Bank on Winchester Avenue in Martinsburg, W.Va., both of which occurred Dec. 22. On Monday, a City National Bank was also robbed in Ranson, W.Va.